Nothing More Than A Dream
by ExLibris3
Summary: Sequel to Always Faithful. This is the story about why Jenny and Gibbs never had kids in the past.
1. Chapter 1

_**So, this is a sequel to Always Faithful. **__**In that one I described shortly about why Jenny and Gibbs did not have kids, here is the longer version. It is set in the past, when they had been married for three years. Here is the story about what made them put her pregnancy on hold, how they felt and how they managed to keep their love alive through lonely nights and dangerous days.**_

The night sky was dark, but free from clouds. The moon was large, but not full, spreading its pale light over the city of Washington DC. The stars blinked lazily against the black background.

In one house, however, sleep was certainly not on the married couple's mind.

"Jethro…" Jenny Gibbs panted where she lay on top of her husband in their moon-lit bedroom. Gibbs rolled her over, pinning her to the bed underneath him. He covered her mouth with his and gave her a deep kiss as his hand wandered over her body. She closed her eyes and moaned loudly as he moved his lips, leaving a trail of light kisses down her throat and across her collarbone. It took all her mental strength to force her hands to his face, lifting it from her body. Before he had a chance to say anything, she rolled them over again, leaving her on top again.

"Jen…" he breathing heavily, but she placed her index finger across his lips, preventing him from speaking further.

"We have to work tomorrow" she said, a hint of regret in her voice, though.

"So?" he replied underneath her finger. His eyes were glistening mischievously in the half-dark room.

"_So,_" she was heavy on the word "we have to get up early. And I'm rather exhausted already"

Her index finger was still pressing against his lips; he quickly opened his mouth and gently closed his teeth around her fingertip, causing her to smile sweetly.

"Jethro!" she laughed a jerked her finger from his mouth. "I wanna go to sleep now" she added more seriously and slid off him, landing softly on the mattress next to him. She curled up against him, sliding her arms across his firm stomach and placed her head on his chest, directly above his heart. Gibbs kissed her head softly before he put his head back onto his pillow with a sigh. He had one arm wrapped around her body, his hand played with a few strings of her hair.

"Now, if I were to get pregnant…" Jenny started, but trailed off as she felt Gibbs' hand slip down her body and gently resting on her stomach.

"You will, sooner or later" he assured her and she smiled into his chest.

"I know, and my child couldn't have a better father than you" she said in a low voice. Even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was smiling. Without further words, they both quickly fell asleep.

Early one morning three weeks later, Jenny and Gibbs entered the NCIS building together, as they always did. They were still working on the same team, along with agent Brody. When they entered the bullpen, Brody was already sitting at his desk, checking his e-mail. He was slightly over thirty and was a good-looking man with short brown hair and a firm body.

"Morning agent Gibbs and agent Gibbs" he greeted in his usual manner. Jenny smiled slightly as she put her bag down on the floor behind her desk and sat down.

"Morning Brody" she greeted back and he glanced up at her with a smile. He, as well as many other agents, thought it was rather funny to have two agents Gibbs on the same team. But Jenny and Gibbs worked best together.

Gibbs had also taken his seat behind his desk. He was the team-leader and after their wedding and having finished their missions in Europe they returned to Washington. He had been worried she would find it difficult to take orders from her husband, in Europe they had worked together and they hadn't outranked each other. He knew she was not one who liked to be bossed around by anyone, not even her husband. She was independent, and that was one of the qualities he loved about her. But he had been pleased to find she was adjusting fine to these new circumstances.

He looked over at his wife and found her busy going through her e-mail. The phone on her desk suddenly started to ring, and without taking her eyes off the screen, she answered it.

"Special agent Jenny Gibbs" she said quickly and went silent as she listened to the person on the other line. "Yeah, sure. I'll be right there" she said and hung up. She rose from her chair and at the same time tying up her hair in a ponytail.

"The Director wants to see me" she explained to Gibbs and Brody and hurried off toward the stairs leading to Director Morrow's office.

Brody raised his eyebrows at Gibbs as she ran off. "Wonder what he wants with her"

About an hour later, Gibbs glanced up toward the Director's office, and his eyes finally found Jenny. She was walking fast and practically ran down the stairs. Even before he could rise from his chair to go meet her, she was standing in front of his desk.

"I have to talk to you" she exclaimed. Gibbs tried to read her face, but she kept her expression neutral, showing neither joy nor frustration. He looked up at her and nodded, waiting for her to speak. Jenny glanced at Brody, and even though his eyes were glued to his computer screen, his fingers were hovering over the keys, giving away the fact that he was eavesdropping.

"Let's go for coffee" she suggested and close to dragged him out of his chair. In her hurry she managed to pick up her baby-blue cardigan from her desk. Still holding him in a firm grip, she dragged him with her; she was walking so fast he had a hard time keeping up with her. She shoved him into an elevator and once the doors shut, she released her grip on his wrist and calmly put on her cardigan.

"Jen!" he burst out "What the hell is going on?"

"I'll tell you once we get out" she answered just as calmly as she had put on the cardigan. Now when he looked at her, he noticed her face was just as expressionless as it had been out in the bullpen, but her eyes were glittering excitedly. He knew there was no point arguing with her, she'd tell him when she found the right moment and obviously the elevator in NCIS was not good enough, nor in front of Brody had been appropriate.

They escaped the building and walked in silence toward the place where they bought their coffee. Gibbs glanced at her; she was staring in the direction straight ahead of them and did not notice him watching her. The hair in the ponytail rippled when she walked and her heels clinked against the ground. He slid his arm around her back, resting his hand on her hip. This caused her to turn her head toward him, but quickly looked away again as she knew he was only trying to get her to talk.

"Come on Jen!" he complained as he understood she had figured him out. "Just tell me, it can't be that bad, can it?" he took a chance, at least he would find out whether Director Morrow had brought her good or bad news.

"Who says it something bad?" she answered, her voice not revealing anything.

"Well, not you! You're not telling me anything!" he started to get frustrated, and the worst part was that she knew it and enjoyed playing him like this.

"Why don't you wait out here, and I'll go in and buy us some coffee?" she suggested, but did not wait for an answer before she disappeared into the shop.

"Jen…" he called after her, but the door had already shut before him. "Damn it" he cursed and sank down on a bench on the sidewalk while waiting for her too come back.

Inside the coffee shop, Jenny stood in line, waiting for her turn. She knew Gibbs was about to become pissed off at her, but the reason why she hadn't told him yet was that she was not sure how he would handle the news she had gotten from Director Morrow. She had been very excited when he'd given her the offer, but she strongly doubted Gibbs would be happy about it. She had until tomorrow at noon to make her decision, otherwise the opportunity would be lost.

She finally reached the counter and ordered two black coffees to go. She paid and made her way out from the shop with one cup in either hand. As soon as she came out through the door, Gibbs sprang to his feet and rushed over to her. He accepted the cup of coffee she was holding out for him, but he was staring directly into her eyes.

"Are you gonna tell me now? Or have you decided to take this at home instead?" he added coolly.

"That would actually be preferable" she replied, but after noticing his stern expression, she quickly added "But, as I don't want to piss you off further, I will tell you now"

"That sounds good to me" he said but didn't take his eyes off her, just waited for her to explain. Jenny felt slightly disturbed by the way he was looking at her.

"Why don't we sit down?" she suggested and gestured for them to go sit down on the bench Gibbs had just been sitting on. Once they were seated next to each other on the wooden bench, Jenny stared down at her cup for a few seconds before she started explaining.

"So, I went to talk with the Director today" she began as she desperately tried to find the right words to tell him this.

"Yeah, I know that" Gibbs voice had softened down "But what did he want?"

"He wants to assign me on a mission. In Europe" her voice was slightly hoarse as she spoke. She did not look at him.

"What kind of mission?" he asked and she couldn't help it but to turn to look at him. She was relieved to see he didn't appear to be upset.

"He didn't give me any details. He just said he thought I would be the best agent for the job" she couldn't help but to sound a bit proud. Gibbs nodded slightly, but then frowned.

"That wasn't so hard to say, now was it?"

"I suppose not, but..." she began but Gibbs cut her off.

"I mean, you're not thinking about going, are you?" he said, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Actually…" she said tentatively, but did not look away from him "I'm really excited about going" she continued softly. Gibbs looked partly like she had just struck him in the face, and partly he didn't look surprised at all.

"But Jen…!" he burst out, and she was devastated at his tone of voice. She knew he would not approve of this.

"But what?" she shot back before he had a chance to continue. "It is perfect, it what I have always dreamed of doing ever since…" her voice trailed off and Gibbs was quick to interrupt.

"For how long?" he asked furiously. He needed to know how much time this would steal. He knew what he did was selfish, but he wanted to have a family so badly.

"I don't know, I asked but he couldn't give me a specific answer. He just said it would take a couple of months"

"Months?" he stared at her "But what about the plans of slowing down and having a baby that we talked about?"

"But I'm not pregnant. We've failed twice. What does it matter if we put those plans on hold for six months?" she pleaded. Of course she too was eager to have a family with him, but work was important to her too. And now when it actually was something her Director had claimed she was the best at…

"It matters to me, Jen!"

"But I really want to do this" she said softly and reached out her hand to place it on his cheek and turned his face back toward her because he had looked away. "This would mean so much to me, Jethro. I will not choose between a family, and my work. I will have both someday, soon. But this…" she said with a small laugh "This is such a huge opportunity for me."

"When do you have to decide?" he said in a low voice, feeling her hand gently caress his cheek.

"Tomorrow, at noon" she replied "So, what do you say?"

Gibbs met her gaze for a moment, and then looked away as he decided it would be too painful "I don't want you to go"

Jenny stared at him in disbelief. She quickly withdrew her hand from his cheek and closed it around her coffee cup instead. "I can't believe you're saying that!" she cried out angrily and jumped to her feet, almost spilling out her coffee.

"Jen…" he was shocked by her reaction, but at the same time he had expected nothing less from her.

"I'm going. I _have _to go, Jethro. The Director's counting on me. And I can't fail my agency" she stated and walked off, leaving him sitting alone on the bench. Gibbs sipped his coffee and knew he had screwed everything up. He glanced after her as she went, her ponytail swayed furiously after her and her unbuttoned baby-blue cardigan rippled along her sides. He put the coffee down on the bench and bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hand.

_**To be continued…**_

_So, that was the first chapter in my first sequel to Always Faithful. As you noticed, it is set in the past, and the other sequel I'll write will be set in the future, actually during the Hiatus episodes. _

_Please review!_

_xxx_

_Emma_


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs had finally pulled himself together and made his way back to NCIS. He entered the bullpen and noticed immediately that Jenny's desk was empty. He sighed heavily and threw himself down in his chair. Brody looked up from his computer as he saw him come.

"Everything alright, boss?" he asked as he glanced worriedly at Gibbs.

"Have you see Jenny?" he asked, ignoring the question. He had figured she would have gone back here, but with Jenny Gibbs you never knew.

"Yeah, she stormed in a little while before you showed up. She seemed really upset. Did you two have a fight or something" Brody asked seriously, now turning his full attention to his boss. Gibbs answered that question in his mind with 'Yes', but chose not to say it out loud. Instead he once again ignored it and answered with another question.

"Well, where the hell is she?" he burst out angrily. He wondered whether she was down at Ducky's, telling him about their fight and the reason for it, asking for his advise.

"She-she is up with the Director" he stuttered, shocked by Gibbs' tone of voice. Surely he had been yelled at by Gibbs before, but he had never experienced him taking this tone while talking about Jenny.

Gibbs glanced upwards, knowing exactly what she was doing up there. She was telling Director Morrow she would take the assignment. Suddenly a feeling came over him, a feeling that tore at his heart and burned his insides. It was the knowledge that he would lose her for God knows how many months. He quickly rose from his chair, his expression furious as he stared at the door leading to the Director's office. He seriously considered storming up there to pull her out of all this. But after a moment's consideration, he realized if he did that, their marriage would indeed be over. Nevertheless, he suddenly stormed off toward the stairs, pretending to not hear Brody's calls for him.

Gibbs reached the top of the staircase, without any specific plan in mind. He didn't want to mess up their situation further, but he refused to let her leave. He slowed down his pace as he began walking toward the Director's office. But before he could reach it, the door to MTAC had opened. He turned his head toward it, and saw no one other than Jenny emerge from the room.

She stopped dead at the sight of him, but he could tell even from this distance she tensed, but her eyes were cold as ice. She approached him furiously, stopping a few feet from him and placing her hands on her hips as she looked at him daringly.

Gibbs glared back at her with fury. He knew what she had done, he knew she would go. The corner of her lips rose into a small smile as she could tell from his expression he knew what she had told Morrow.

"Yes, Jethro" she confirmed "I told him I'm going on my mission"

He took a step closer to her and gripped her upper arms tightly.

"I can't believe you're doing this" he said angrily. Jenny leaned her face forward, staring deeply into his eyes.

"Believe it" she said coolly before withdrawing herself from him, turning around and hurried down the stairs. She snapped something at Brody as he obviously had asked her what the hell was going on, and then she took her seat behind her desk. Gibbs leaned against the rail and looked down at her. Fury was still boiling inside of him, but he knew he couldn't do anything in the situation. He would have to let her go, there was no chance she could regret it now. But even though he knew that, he was still mad at her.

Gibbs reluctantly descended the stairs to return to his desk. He walked past Jenny without even glancing at her. He did however notice Brody eyeing him suspiciously.

"Drop it" Gibbs said coolly as Brody opened his mouth to ask what was going on. He shut it again after receiving a dark glare from Gibbs.

Jenny's and Gibbs' eyes met, both equally cold. Neither wanted to cave in first by looking away. Gibbs' phone rang, and without taking his eyes off hers, he answered.

"Yeah, Gibbs?" He listened to the person on the other line as he continued to stare her in the eyes.

"No, I'll be right up" he said and hung up. He rose from his chair, finally forced to break the eye contact. Without a word he hurried past her and back up the stairs toward the Director's office.

Jenny turned her head toward Brody, who looked extremely confused by now. He opened his mouth once again, but she stopped him by holding up a finger.

During the rest of they day, the atmosphere between Jenny and Gibbs continued to be just as silent and the anger between them was so thick you could almost feel it.

Their eyes met again, not as furiously this time, but they silently agreed it was time to go home. They both reluctantly started to get ready for leaving, both dreading the moment when they needed to be alone together. Jenny had a feeling this would be one the worst fights they had even had.

They walked off toward the elevator together, Gibbs walked a few feet ahead of her. He held the elevator doors open for her to get in before him. They were alone. Gibbs glanced at her, but she was not even looking at him, she was busy buttoning her cardigan. They stepped out, and now she went ahead, rushing off toward their car. Her heels clinked furiously against the ground and he often wondered how she was able to walk so quickly in high heels. When he reached the car, she was already waiting for him, since he had the keys. The ride home was very quiet. Jenny looked out through the window. She expected them to keep their silent pattern at least till after dinner, then she would have at least a couple of hours of yelling at him to look forward to.

Gibbs pulled up on their drive way and turned the engine off. Jenny quickly opened the door and was just about to climb out of the car, but when she did not hear him open his door, she turned to look at him. Gibbs sat still in his seat, his gaze was lowered and he looked tense.

"Are you getting out?" she asked annoyingly. Usually she'd be concerned about this behaviour, but now she was just too upset to care. One of her feet was still on the ground as she continued to look at him.

"Yeah, I'm coming" he sighed, deciding this was not the right time to bring up the subject. Without further words, Jenny escaped the car, slammed the door behind her and rushed up to the front door of their house. Gibbs took the keys from the car before reluctantly following her.

Jenny took the liberty of ordering in take-out without telling him, but he didn't make a big deal out of it since she knew what he wanted. He entered the kitchen only to find the Chinese-take-out waiting for him on the kitchen table. Jenny was leaning against the counter and had already started eating. Gibbs frowned as he walked up to the table and picked up the food she had left for him. He was glad to find it was his favourite, he was starving. He grabbed the Chinese sticks that lay on the table as he wondered briefly whether she had poisoned his food; she looked dangerously capable of doing so.

"Is this safe to eat?" he asked as he had walked over to her and leaned against the counter next to her. She didn't look up him, so she frowned at her food.

"Why wouldn't it be?" she asked coldly.

"You look like you are capable of trying to poison me" he replied and glanced at her for her reaction. Her expression did not change.

"Crossed my mind" she answered instead, still without as much as glancing at him.

"I knew I had a reason to worry" he said lightly, this caused Jenny to actually turn her head toward him.

"You wouldn't have had to worry about me poisoning your food if you'd just accept the fact that I'm going away!" she burst out angrily. She threw down her half-finished food box and moved to lean against the kitchen island, standing opposite him. Gibbs made no attempt at putting down his food.

"Lost my appetite" she said; her back toward the island and her arms crossed across her chest.

Gibbs took his eyes off her and continued to eat. He knew she'd be annoyed that he didn't argue. He felt her eyes burn him as she stared at him.

Five minutes later, he looked up as she cleared her throat.

"Are you finished?" she asked coolly and Gibbs answered her by putting down his empty food box.

"Yeah, thanks for waiting"

Jenny rolled her eyes at his comment. "Why are you denying me this opportunity?"

"I'm not…" Gibbs began, but the rest of his sentence was drowned by her yelling.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" she shouted "Don't you dare say you're not because you are, Jethro!"

"I just never thought you to be the kind person who puts her career before her family" Gibbs matched her anger. Jenny looked offended.

"You know damn well I love my job, but that does not mean I don't care about my family!" she called out furiously. She placed her hands on the counter on either side of her body, gripping it tightly in anger.

"Then how come work has always been more important to you than settling down and having a family?" he shot back

Jenny opened her mouth to answer, but then shut it again. She stared at him with fury.

"If you don't want to have a child with me, then you should have just told me!" he continued, knowing, or hoping, that this was not true. She had told him so many times she wanted him to be the father of her child, that what he had just said to her could not be true. But the fact that she always managed to come up with excuses that forced them to put their plans on hold worried him, made him doubt.

But judging by the look on her face, it was like he had just asked for a divorce. Her mouth hung open and her eyes shot fire.

"How the hell can you say that?!" she whispered at first, then her voice rose to a cry as she continued "You know that's not true!"

Gibbs believed her. He could tell only by looking at her that she was telling him the truth.

"Then why do you always want to put in on hold?" he asked, his voice still loud, the annoyance present in his tone.

"I don't! We've tried, haven't we?" she said furiously.

"Yeah, but now all of a sudden, when we're in the midst of trying, you decides to leave for months!" he could not understand why this particular mission meant so much to her, she had gone to Europe for work on several occasions.

"There is plenty of time for a child after I come back!" she replied coldly, her voice was a bit lower now, she was no longer shouting.

"Why do you want to go anyway? Haven't you been to Europe enough already?" he shot back, which just happened to make her even more furious.

"Every mission is different, and this is a very special thing. I'm not at liberty to discuss the details with anyone, not even you. It's highly classified, and our Director just happens to believe I'm the best agent for the job. I was actually hoping you'd be proud of me, Jethro" the coldness in her voice was enough to freeze Gibbs' blood in his veins. And those last words, they hurt.

They stood in silence, both staring at each other. After a few minutes of total silence, where the only sound had been from their breathing, Gibbs spoke. His voice was hoarse.

"I still don't want you to go"

Jenny gave him a disappointed glare, then without another word, she walked out of the kitchen.

Gibbs looked after her as she went, not regretting what he had said, but regretting the fact that it was true. He was sorry he didn't want her to go, but much as he tried to talk himself into letting her go, it just didn't feel right. He was still leaning against the kitchen counter, wondering briefly what she was doing now. _'Probably packing her suitcase'_ he thought sarcastically, until he became truly worried that was exactly what she was doing. _'No, she wouldn't. She wouldn't just leave like that. Where would she go?' _ He thought. He heard her walking up the stairs, but other than that, she was silent.

He turned around to clean up after their dinner. He threw Jenny's unfinished meal in the garbage can. There were dirty plates in the sink from last night's dinner that neither had cared to clean up. He turned the water on and rinsed them off before putting them into the dish washer. As he did so, his mind travelled back to last night. Everything had been great between them then, not an argument during the entire evening, which actually was not unusual. He remembered them laughing together, he remembered her kissing him. Lost in the memory of last night, he accidentally dropped the glass he was holding. It fell to the floor and shattered.

"Damn it" he muttered, bending down to pick up the pieces of broken glass. He cut himself and blood poured from a cut on his finger. He cursed again and wrapped his hand around the finger as he desperately search for something to stop the bleeding with. He quickly wrapped a piece of paper around it as he searched the cabinets for band-aid. He finally found the first aid kit, cleaned the cut and wrapped band-aid around his finger.

Gibbs glanced down at the shattered glass on the floor, drops of blood was now accompanying them. A little more carefully this time, he once again bent down to pick up the pieces.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs entered their bedroom. He found his wife sitting on their bed, her back turned toward him, shaking slightly. He suddenly realized she was crying as he heard a faint sob.

"Jen?" he said tentatively, as if he was afraid she'd get mad at him again, but she did not react to his presence.

Jenny had entered their bedroom right after she'd left him in the kitchen. After taking one look at their wedding photo standing on her bedside table, she had burst into tears. She knew he was there now, she'd heard him call her name, but she didn't respond. She felt as he sat down on the other side of the bed, she turned her head to glance at him, but he was sitting with her back toward her, so she turned back.

Gibbs rose again and this time he walked around the bed to her. Jenny kept her eyes on the floor as he sat down next to her.

"Jen?" he tried again. She closed her eyes, but a few tears leaked from under her eyelids. She still refused to answer him. Her hand rested on the bed next to her body, Gibbs reached out his hand to grab it. But the second she felt his finger tips brush against the back of her hand, she rose to her feet.

Gibbs looked up at her. She wiped away the tears with her hand.

"I – I'm…I'm going to bed" she said, her voice hoarse and a sob escaped her.

"Jen…" Gibbs repeated, but she walked away from him, she disappeared into the bathroom.

Gibbs sighed and buried his face in his hands. Jenny had stopped in the door way to their bedroom; she turned her head and looked back at him. Her whole body itched to go back and hold him, but she couldn't. She couldn't understand why he had such a problem with letting her go; it was only for a couple of months. But deep inside, she felt like she failed him. She had indeed promised him she would stay in Washington, stay and have a family together with him. And now she was going to leave.

She left the bedroom and entered the bathroom, where she stripped herself off her clothes and put on her pyjamas; navy blue pants and a white tank top. She brushed her teeth and then emerged from the bathroom. She let her hair out of the ponytail and it cascaded down her back. Gibbs had risen from her side of the bed and was now changing into sweat pants and a forest green 'Marines' t-shirt to sleep in. Without speaking to him, she lay down on her bed and pulled the cover over her body, facing away from his side. Gibbs disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes, then returned and lay down heavily on the bed.

Gibbs glanced at her back that was turned toward him, then with a heavy sigh he turned his own back to her, trying to fall asleep even though he knew this would be a close to sleepless night for him.

_Thanks for the response I got from the first chapter. Thanks for reading my story and I hope you liked it. Please review and I will update faster. Possibly more Jibbs in next chapter…_

_Xxx_

_Emma_


	3. Chapter 3

When Gibbs woke up the next morning, he felt something soft against his face. His eyelids fluttered open and he saw a blur of red. He realized it was Jenny's hair, and he was lying curled up behind her, his face buried in her neck. He became aware of that he had his arm wrapped around her waist, his hand resting on her stomach. He pulled his head backwards a little to see if she was awake. But her eyelids were shut tight and her breathing was slow. He must have embraced her in his sleep, out of habit. Reluctantly he withdrew his hand from her waist and rolled back to his side of the bed.

Gibbs lay staring up at the ceiling, thinking back at last night. He remembered her tear-streamed face, pulling away her hand from his. When he could no longer lie there in the silence, so close to her but not able to hold her, he rose to his feet and intended on going downstairs to make some coffee. But instead he walked around the bed and knelt in front of his sleeping wife. He tentatively reached out his hand; afraid she might wake up, and touched her shoulder. She was cold. He realized she was freezing so he grabbed the edge of the cover that had slid down to her hips, and pulled it up to her neck and tucked it gently around her. He stroked his hand over her arm before rising to his feet again, looking down at her still figure. Then he left the room.

Clutching a cup of coffee in his hand, Gibbs made his way down to his basement, picked up a sanding tool and began working on the boat. It felt soothing and helped clear his mind as he worked the wood. He thought of Jenny and their fight last night, trying to find a way to accept the fact that she was going away.

* * *

The steps cracked as Jenny made her way down to the basement, her eyes etched upon her husband. She was carrying two cups of coffee, one in either hand. 

"I figured you could use a refill" she said, causing him for the first time to glance up at her. She was approaching him calmly, the anger she had shown last night was no longer visible in her face. He glanced at his now empty cup; she always had a great timing. And she always seemed to know what he needed for the moment, whether it was coffee or her company, she'd always give him whatever he needed.

Jenny got slightly frustrated when he didn't answer her, not even as much as looked at her as she placed their cups underneath the boat. She was on the verge of letting an evil comment slip over her lips, but she managed to hold it in. Instead she placed herself behind him, letting her hands slip around his waist. He didn't stop shaping the wood in front of him though, and he did not speak.

Gibbs was, though, aware of her. Oh, hell. He was very aware of her front pressing against his back, her arms laid around his waist. But he could find no words appropriate to say to her. Therefore he remained silent.

Jenny rested her forehead against the back of his neck. She stood close, so close she could feel his muscles tense with every stroke he laid on the wood. He suddenly stopped, reached out one hand to pick up the cup of coffee Jenny had brought him, drank from it, put the cup back down before continuing. And Jenny still clung onto him.

For several minutes they stood like this. In silence. She felt his muscles tense and relax; he felt her heart beat against his back. The scent of fresh wood filled the air.

Gibbs suddenly stopped again, he took one hand from the tool and placed it on top of hers, wrapping his fingers around her wrist. He pulled at her, silently telling her where he wanted her. Jenny obeyed to his gesture and moved, following his pulling until she was standing in front of him, her back against his front, his arms embracing her. He covered her hands with his, placing them onto the tool. He began moving their hand firmly across the wood, his hands gently guiding hers.

Jenny appreciatively leaned back against his chest. The silence they shared was comfortable; the whole situation was calm, much better than she had expected it to be after their fight last night. Together their hands slid back and forth over the wood in soothing movements. She wanted to say something, but didn't know what. She didn't want to start another fight.

"I still have to go" she finally said, her voice was hoarse, low. Gibbs did not reply immediately. Instead he slid his hands up her arms, up to her shoulders, then down her sides, finally resting them on her hips. Jenny continued to work the wood, though enjoying the feeling of his hands sliding over her body.

"I know" he sighed, the first sound she had heard him make all morning. "I know you have to. I know you want to, and I won't stop you" he had to put in a terrible effort to make the words sound sincere, but she heard the tension in his voice. It disturbed her.

"Jethro," she began "I don't want this feign honesty. I want you to tell me how you truly feel. And I want us to part as friends, without repressed emotions and false feelings." She stopped her hands, but still kept them on the tool, waiting anxiously for his answer. Gibbs was slightly surprised, but he had expected her to see right through him.

"You want the truth?" he asked and gripped her upper arms, turning her toward him. He could hear the tool falling off the boat and landing hard at their feet, but for the moment he did not care. He found her gaze, and held it. Jenny looked directly into his bright blue eyes as she answered.

"Yes" she just hoped she would not regret hearing the truth.

"Ok" he said and loosened his grip on her arms "Truth is, Jen, that I don't want you to go." She opened her mouth to protest, but he was prepared and quickly put his index finger against her lips. She shut her mouth again, allowing him to continue.

"_But, _since I have no intention of losing you, I have to let you do this" he went on, and Jenny could tell he was being honest this time. The expression in his eyes was painful, but honest. She understood it hurt him to let her go, but it would be for the best.

"I'm glad" she replied, and even though she didn't smile, he could see it in her eyes as they were still locked together.

"I want you to be happy, Jen. And I'm sorry about last night" he apologised, causing Jenny to raise one eyebrow in surprise.

"It's rare to hear you apologise, you must really mean it" she said in a low voice, but there was a hint of teasing in it though.

"I do. I was acting very selfish last night, not letting you do what you are best at just because we'd talked about slowing down. Nothing was really decided" his words caused Jenny to smile, but what shocked him the most was that she was also shaking her head.

"Much as I enjoy having you apologise, I believe I own you one too" she told him, didn't wait for him to answer though before she began apologising "I'm sorry I have kept putting our plans on hold, I know how much having a family means to you. I just don't want you to think that I don't want it. Because I do, Jethro, I want it so much. But I can't give up on my job, everything I've worked so hard for"

After she'd spoken, they fell silent. Gibbs let his arms slip around her waist, pulling her into a tight embrace. Jenny rested her chin on his shoulder, placing her hands on his hips.

"Apology accepted" Gibbs whispered into her ear. She felt his hands move down her body, finally resting on her lower back.

"Friends again?" Jenny asked as she withdrew her head from his shoulder and stared into his eyes. Gibbs raised one eyebrow and looked at her with intensity before he quickly closed the gap between them and pressed his lips against hers. He took her by surprise, but she almost immediately succumbed to the kiss. He pressed her against the beam of the boat, slipping his hands up to her face as he held her body stuck by pressing his own body against hers. As he pulled away from the kiss to allow them to breathe, Jenny raised her eyebrows at him. He grinned as he saw her expression.

"What? Gotta take advantage of the time we have left" he explained and Jenny laughed, leaning in to kiss him again.

"By...the...way..." Gibbs said between kisses and then pulled away his face a few inches from hers.

"Yes?" Jenny pecked him on the cheek while waiting for him to continue.

"When are you leaving?" he asked, brushing his thumb against her cheek. Jenny sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder again, that was the hard part.

"Early Monday morning" she said sadly, and Gibbs closed his eyes in despair. No, this was too soon. Today was Thursday, which left them only the Friday and the weekend together.

"Jen - " he sighed, slipping his hand around her neck to hold her close. He kissed her hair as she struggled to raise her head from his shoulder and look at him.

"I know, I know it's soon" she said with an apologetic smile "But I cannot change that" she added sadly.

"I understand" he replied, but he didn't. He didn't understand what was going on, he didn't understand she'd be leaving him for several months, he didn't understand if everything would be the same after she returned. Sometimes Jenny Gibbs was a bit of a mystery to him.

"Hey," her voice pulled him from his depressing thoughts, he felt her hand under his chin, lifting his head until his eyes were level with hers. She was still smiling, but her eyes had a sad glittering. "I will come back. I will come back and have a family together with you" she promised him, the honesty in her voice was enough to have him convinced. But he also knew, that if another mission came up, another oppotunity for her to use her good knwledge and remarkable skill as an NCIS special agent, far away in Europe, he was not so sure what she would do. Seeing as he too loved his job, he wouldn't want to quit to be a full time dad, while his wife was out working classified operations on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

"Jethro?" once again her voice had to drag him out of his own mind, this time there were much more concern in the look she gave him. He forced a smile and returned his hands to her face.

"Yes, Jen?" he said lightly, but before even giving her time to response, he pressed his lips against hers, not wanting to lie to her when she asked him what he was thinking about. Fortunately, he felt her kissing him back, her hands rushing up and down his back and he slid on hand down her body, resting it gently on her hip, the other he held still around her neck. Her slender body was still pressed between the beam of the boat and her husband's strong, warm body. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and lifted both her legs to lock them around his waist, and she did so without breaking the kiss.

Gibbs felt her shifting position, but she didn't allow him to break the kiss, she kept holding on to his mouth, her hands rushed through his hair. But as he felt that he also needed to breathe, he reluctantly pulled away. Jenny's eyes were still closed as she too was panting and in need for fresh oxygen.

"Is this how we're gonna spend our last four days? Or should I say nights?" she panted and smiled as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah, only with less clothing" he replied, causing a laugh to slip between her lips.

"Even better" she responded and returned her lips to his. She felt his hand grip at the exposed skin between her tank top and her pants, causing her skin to tingle. Then the sound of a ringing cell phone reached their ears. They broke the kiss, resting their foreheads together. Gibbs sighed as he glanced at the damned ringer-thing lying on the work bench, vibrating and making an extremely unwelcome sound.

Jenny reluctantly put her feet back onto the floor, withdrew her hands from around his neck and sighed.

"I guess work caught up with us" she said, nodding toward the ringing cell phone, urging Gibbs to go answer it. He placed a quick kiss on her forehead before leaving her by the boat.

"Yeah, Gibbs?" he answered in his usual manner. "Call Ducky, have him meet us at the crime scene" he said before hanging up. Jenny had bent down to pick up the three coffee cups while listening to the short conversation. She took a sip from her coffee.

"Brody?"

"Yeah, we have a dead body at Quantico" Gibbs said with a sigh and walked back to her. He reached out his hand and grabbed his own cup.

"I - I'm...Today..." Jenny struggled to find the right words to tell him this "I will be working with you and Brody today, I guess, but tomorrow I'll be up in the Director's office most of the day, recieving important imformation about my mission"

"Right" Gibbs said awkwardly, he had momentarily forgotten she'd be leaving so soon, when Brody had called he'd just pictured the three of them, processing crime scenes and catching the bad guys, forgetting Jenny would no longer be part of their team, at least for a while. "Well, we'd better go get ready" he added, referring to the fact that they were both still dressed in their pyjamas. Jenny agreed and started making her way up the stairs, Gibbs was right behind her.

As they got dressed, Gibbs would glance at her every now and then as she dressed herself in jeans and a forest green tight tank top.

"Why don't you hurry up instad of staring at me? Then maybe we'll get to work on time" she said without as much as glancing at him. Still she knew what he was doing, he had been suspiciously quiet back there, but after she'd spoken, she heard the sound of a belt being buckled. She smiled to herself as she put on hoop-earrings and began brushing her hair.

"Right, of course" came Gibbs hurried voice from behind as he continued to dress himself.

* * *

Ten minutes later they left the house, both wearing NCIS jackets and Jenny her cap. 

They arrived at the crime scene and as soon they'd gotten out of he car, agent Brody approached them.

"Morning boss, Jenny" he greeted them, a camera hanging around his neck and a note pad in his hand.

"Morning Brody" Jenny replied as Gibbs was busy reaching inside the car to recieve his NCIS cap.

"Ducky here yet?" he demanded to know, without saying hi to Brody.

"For once, they didn't get lost on the way to a crime scene" Brody replied and beckoned with his thumb over his shoulder to the NCIS medical examiner's van that stood parked a little bit away.

"Good" Gibbs said "Jen, come on" he said and waved at her to join him at his side as they walked toward the dead body that Ducky was busy examining. Brody hurried along behind them.

"I see you two are getting along again" he observed and had to struggle to keep up with them.

"Yes, we are" Jenny answered simply as she kept walking beside her husband.

"What was it about, anyway?" Brody asked from behind and Gibbs sighed.

"None of your business" Gibbs snapped as he opened the door in the back of the NCIS van, taking out the gears.

"Actually, I think we're gonna have to tell him at some point" Jenny cut in and Brody looked at her with confusion written all over his face. Gibbs looked from her to Brody and shrugged.

"Then tell him" he said and began walking toward the dead body. Jenny and Brody followed close behind him.

"I'm afraid you'll have to work alone with Gibbs for a couple of months." she began, but interrupted herself at the sight of Brody's shocked face

"Ah, good morning Jethro, and Jenny" Ducky greeted them as they reached him.

"Morning Duck. Actually, Jen, that's not entirely true" Gibbs said as he crouched down next to the body lying on the grass in a back yard. Jenny looked at him, surprised.

"What do you mean? I'm leaving!" she burst out, causing Ducky and Brody to stare at her in disbelief.

"You're what?" Brody called out

"She's been assigned on a mission in Europe, will be gone for several months" Gibbs explained without looking up at her, but she heard the tension in his voice.

"Really?" Ducky asked curiously, and at the same time sounding rather excited, which he regretted when he recieved a glare from Gibbs.

"Yes, really. Jethro," Jenny said, nodding her head toward her husband as she spoke his name "wasn't so fond of the idea, but he gave in." Gibbs opened his mouth to argue, but Jenny raised her eyebrows, and he silenced.

Jenny continued, frowning "But, what did you mean when you said Brody won't be alone with you?"

"The Director wanted to talk to me yesterday" Gibbs began as he was busy taking crime scene pictures "He told me you'd be leaving, and that I would get a new agent onto my team, as a replacement for you until you come back"

"Really? Who is it? Do you know him?" Jenny asked curiously as she silently wondered why he hadn't told her this before. Then she realized, that if he had started talking about her replacement, it would really mean she'd be gone, and since he had had a hard time accepting this, she understood why he had kept it to himself.

"No, I don't know him. He's new, coming from Baltimore P.D. His name's..." Gibbs trailed off as he tried to remember the new agent's name "Anthony DiNozzo, I think his name was"

"When are you leaving, Jenny?" Ducky asked

"Monday" Gibbs answered for her before she even had a chance to open her mouth.

"I can speak for myself, thank you, Jethro" she snapped, but Gibbs gave her a little smile and walked closer to her. He handed her the note pad he was holding.

"Go get the witnesses statements" he told her, but before she turned away from him, he placed a kiss on her forehead. Jenny gave him a smile and walked off.

"What the hell are you two looking at? Back to work!" Gibbs barked and the grinns on Ducky's and Brody's faces quickly disappeared and they both returned to their duties.

Jenny winced as she heard Gibbs shout. Then she smiled and realized just how grumpy Gibbs would be in her absence. She almost felt sorry for Brody and this DiNozzo.

_So, what do ya' think? Good chapter, yes, no? Please give me a review and tell me what you think!!_

_Yep, school's starting soon, meaning I'll have a little less time writing, but I will do my best. Thanks for reading._

_Emma_


	4. Chapter 4

Later that Thursday afternoon, Jenny sat at her desk, checking up something for the case they were working on. She glanced over to the desk next to hers, where her husband sat leaned back in his chair, staring at his computer screen and probably trying to figure this damned thing out.

Jenny reached out for her coffee. It was cold. She sighed and threw it into the garbage. Gibbs looked up at the sound, and he saw Jenny was looking annoyed. He rose from his seat, grabbed his own cup of coffee and placed it on her table in front of her. She looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"You look like you could use it" he just said before turning away from her, toward Brody.

"Boss, I got something – " Brody acknowledged after hanging up the phone and rose slightly from his desk, putting something up on the plasma to show both Jenny and Gibbs.

Jenny listened carefully as she sipped Gibbs' hot coffee.

"I'm telling you, boss. The wife killed him because he was cheating on her! This is the proof!" Brody exclaimed and Gibbs smiled.

"Good job. Let's bring her in" he said and hurried back to his desk to receive his gun. Jenny and Brody also began to get ready.

"No, Brody, you stay here. Jen and I'll get her" Gibbs barked and took off toward the elevator.

"B-but…" Brody stuttered. Jenny just shrugged and hurried to keep up with Gibbs.

Once they returned, Jenny and Gibbs spent some time together interrogating the suspect, who found herself overpowered, and finally confessed to the murder of her husband, claiming he only got what he deserved for having cheated on her.

The rest of the afternoon they spent doing paperwork at their desks. Gibbs sent Brody out to get them coffee, and once they were finally alone; Gibbs walked up behind her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders and began rubbing them. Jenny leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and enjoying her husband's sweet touch. Gibbs' fingers moved up her neck, pressing gently against her tense muscles. Jenny moaned as he hit the right spot.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" Jenny replied and smiled with her eyes still closed as she felt her muscles relax under his hands.

"Sure?"

"Jethro," she began, tilting her head backward to look up at him "I can assure you that I'm fine, really"

"If you say so" he said and slowly leaned down to kiss her quickly.

"Oh, come on guys! Don't you get enough of that at home?" Brody had chosen the exact moment when Jenny's and Gibbs' lips met to rush into the bull pen. Gibbs straightened up and faced Brody who was standing in front of Jenny's desk, grinning as he tried to hold on to three cups of coffee. Gibbs snatched two of them from his grip and handed one over to Jenny.

"Thanks Brody" she said as he returned to his desk. She sipped the hot dark liquid as she could still feel Gibbs' hand on her shoulder. Jenny leaned her head backwards, until she was staring up at him. She held up a file in front of her head, shielding them from Brody, and Gibbs happily bent down to kiss her again.

"Hey! What's going on behind that file?" Brody's voice reached their ears. Gibbs looked up.

"You really wanna know?" he asked with a grin

"No, never mind"

Jenny put down the file again and watched as her husband retreated back to his desk. She stretched her arms and yawned. She was bored, the kisses had made her long for more, but as she checked her watch, she realized it was barely four, and she still had some reports to finish. She figured she'd better get it done, so they could get out a little earlier today. Placing her coffee cup in comfortable reach, she returned her fingers to the keyboard and began typing.

About two hours later, Jenny glanced over at Gibbs, who just happened to have looked up toward her the exact same moment. They smiled and silently agreed it was time to go home. They both packed up, Brody had left early because he wanted to watch his son's football game. Gibbs stood at Jenny's desk, patiently waiting for her to get ready.

"Come on Jen" he mumbled, eager to get home with her.

"Relax, honey" she replied with a slight smile "Are we picking up take-out?"

"Sure, if you want"

"I do. Let's go" she said and walked behind him toward the elevators.

* * *

Jenny managed to unlock the front door as she balanced a bag with take-out food on her arm. She hurried inside and put everything down on the kitchen counter and pulled off her jacket.

"Jethro?" she called out when her husband didn't come into the kitchen behind her.

"Coming!" his voice came floating through the kitchen door way, and seconds later he appeared himself. Jenny glanced at him as she unpacked their food, and noticed he was carrying a bottle of wine.

"Wine?" she raised her eyebrows and smiled as she put the food containers onto the dinner table.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" he asked and walked to a cabinet to take out two glasses. Jenny was leaning against the kitchen island, watching him pout wine into the glasses. He turned toward her and handed her one.

"Thank you"

"Here's to you, and I hope that whatever you'll do in Europe, it will be successful" he said and raised his glass. Jenny looked touched.

"Thank you" she repeated quietly, clinked her glass against his, and drank from the dark red liquid. She looked up as he stepped closer to her, realizing he was only inches away. He slipped his free hand around her waist, pulling her against him. As he kept staring into her eyes, he slowly lowered his face, until their lips met. Jenny wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to spill her wine over his back. He tasted of wine, and there was still a hint of the usual coffee taste in his mouth. She surrendered to his will, and stayed in his arms. She reluctantly withdrew from the kiss and instead placed her chin on his shoulder. She sighed as she heard him put down his wineglass on the counter behind her and then wrap both his arms tightly around her.

Gibbs sniffled her neck, it smelled of her perfume and he deeply inhaled the sweet scent. He slowly began to leave light kisses on her skin. It tickled her, but it felt so wonderful, having his lips on her body.

"Jethro – " she whispered weakly, trying to stay focused. "The food's getting cold – "

Gibbs reluctantly pulled away from her, letting his hand slide around her waist until he removed them.

"Fine, food first" he said with a mischievous smile. He picked up his glass again and joined her at the table.

* * *

Later that night, Jenny and Gibbs sat curled up on the couch together. It had been Jenny's idea; they had a cup of coffee each and were watching a movie. Gibbs was sitting up, and she leaned against him, his arm wrapped around her. Gibbs offered her the popcorn bowl, and she grabbed a handful of popcorn. As the film reached its middle, Jenny's eyelids began to drop, and she slowly drifted off to sleep. Her body relaxed, and toward the end she was lying with her head in Gibbs' lap, fast asleep.

Gibbs smiled to himself as he lightly caressed her hair; she'd almost never managed to stay awake through a whole film. Tonight was obviously no exception.

"Jen?" he tried to wake her as soon as the end credits began to roll. "Jen"

She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes.

"Hi, slept well?" Gibbs asked with a grin and she groaned.

"Yes, I have, until you woke me up" she pouted and hit him playfully in the stomach.

"Couldn't have you in my lap all night" he teased and helped her sit up. Still not fully awake, she leaned against his shoulder again, letting her arm sneak around his waist.

Gibbs sighed and wrapped his arm around her, reaching out for the remote to turn off the TV. When he glanced back at her, he found her to have fallen back to sleep. He smiled to himself and sat looking down at her for a couple of minutes. He reached out his hand to brush away hair from her face, and took the opportunity to also gently caress her cheek. Her skin felt soft and warm under his fingertips. He moved softly, not wanting to wake her, and curled up in the corner of the couch, gently pulling her with him, leaning her on top of him. There was no use to wake her up again, and he figured they might as well sleep here on the couch. Wrapping both his arms tightly around her, he quickly kissed her forehead before resting his head backwards against the pillows on the couch. Jenny's head lay on his shoulder, snuggled up against his throat.

* * *

Next morning, Jenny woke first. She had trouble realizing where she was at first, but as her head began to clear up, she realized she lay on the couch in the living room, and Gibbs lay next to her. She smiled to herself as she figured they must have fallen asleep here last night. All she could remember was the beginning of a really lousy movie.

Gibbs was half-lying in the couch, and she was almost on top of him. He gave up a low snore and Jenny decided it was time for him to wake up.

She slid her body upwards, until her face was level with his. She stared down into his calm face for a few seconds before leaning down and gently placing her mouth onto his. He didn't react. Jenny kissed him again, this time harder and she even licked at his upper lip. This caught his attention. She felt his head move and his lips instinctively began kissing her back.

Gibbs eyelids fluttered open, and slowly realized what was going on. At that moment, Jenny decided to pull away. She looked down at her husband and smiled.

"Well, good morning" she said sweetly and he smiled too.

"Yeah, so far it's been very good" he replied and she giggled. Jenny pecked him on the lips once before she sat up, pulling Gibbs with her. Sitting up opposite each other, Gibbs reached out and placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her into another kiss. Jenny responded lovingly.

"Jethro – " Jenny said as she pulled away "Work"

Gibbs sighed and let go of her, she stood up.

"I have to be with the Director at eight" she explained and glanced at her watch, it was ten to seven and she needed to shower and change her clothes.

"I understand" he said and leaned back toward the couch as she disappeared into the bathroom. Few minutes later he heard the muffled sound of water running. He thought that hopefully they would both have the weekend off and be able to spend some time together. He reluctantly got off the couch and made his way into their bedroom to change his clothes.

Just as he was buckling his belt, Jenny came in, dressed in a silky robe and with a towel wrapped around her hair.

"Oh, there you are" she exclaimed when she saw him. Then without further words, she disappeared into her closet.

"Yeah, this is my house too!" he called after her and heard her laugh.

"I do know that. Just thought you were in the kitchen making coffee or something" her voice floated out through the closet door.

"Disappointed?"

"Hardly" she said as she came back out into the small bedroom, carrying a pair of black pants and a white shirt. She placed the clothes on the bed and moved to her drawer to take out some underwear.

"I was actually just on my way to the kitchen. You want something?" Gibbs asked and turned around in the door way.

"Just coffee, thanks" she replied and slipped out of her robe. Gibbs forced himself to leave quickly.

Fifteen minutes later, Jenny joined him in the kitchen. He gave her an appreciative look and smiled. He held out a coffee cup for her and she walked up to take it.

"So, what do you think?" she asked nervously and gestured toward her clothing. The white shirt was causally tucked into the pants, on the counter she had laid a jacket she was probably going to wear over it, she had high-heeled shoes and hair tied up in a ponytail.

Gibbs studied her carefully, thinking something was a bit out of order. Realizing what was wrong, he went up to her and in a swift move let out her hair; it cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. He pulled his fingers through it to straighten it out. Then he looked pleased.

"You look beautiful"

"Thanks" she replied and kissed him quickly before turning around to get her jacket. "We have to get going, I can't be late" she added and Gibbs followed her out of the kitchen.

As they escaped the elevator at NCIS, both Jenny and Gibbs hurried to their desks, Jenny to receive a few things she would need for her meeting, and Gibbs to answer the phone.

"Yeah, Gibbs?" he said and glanced up at Jenny as he listened. She waved at him and he returned the gesture before focusing on the caller. "Yeah, where are we?" He hung up and told Brody where they were heading and to call Ducky. As he himself began to gear up, he glanced up the stairs after Jenny, and found she was talking to a male agent he had never seen before, and together they made their way toward Director Morrow's office. Jenny laughed at something the man had said, and Gibbs felt a sting of worry hit him in the chest. He just hoped that was not the man Jenny would be working with in Europe; he was way too handsome and appeared to have a good sense of humour.

"Boss, you coming?" Brody's voice pulled Gibbs from his concerns, and he gave him a bitter nod and walked off toward the elevator.

_Well, what do you think? Send me a review and let me know! Please?_

_Anyways, thanks for reading._

_Xxx_

_Emma_


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs looked up from his desk at the sound of a familiar laugher. His eyes travelled up the stairs and he found Jenny, along with the male agent from earlier. He felt a rip in his heart as he watched her laugh and place her hand on his shoulder. She calmed herself down and stood leaning against the rail, her back toward the squad room below, her attention on the other agent. Jenny shook her head slightly and her hair rippled down her back, Gibbs realised she only wore her white shirt, the jacket hung casually over her arm. Suddenly they appeared to be saying their good byes, and Gibbs quickly returned to his computer, pretending to have never seen the interactions between his wife and the mysterious agent.

Jenny was still smiling as she began descending the stairs after her meeting with Director Morrow and special agent David Wilson. David was a rather attractive agent who was supposed to be going with Jenny on this mission, along with two female agents also out of the Washington DC office. She turned her head to see if her husband was at his desk, and he was, though he didn't appear to have noticed her yet. He was busy with some case, she assumed, and frankly she was a bit relieved that he hadn't seen her interactions with David, she knew he was protective and could get suspicious if he saw her in the company of another man, the way she had been with David.

Jenny calmly walked up to Gibbs and when he didn't appear to notice her even now, she began suspecting something was wrong. She walked around his desk until she finally stood behind him; she gently placed her hands on his shoulders, and felt him tense slightly at her touch.

"Jethro, are you ok?" she asked, concern in her voice as she softly began rubbing his shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine" he said, the tone in his voice was not enough to have her convinced.

"It's six o'clock, you getting ready to leave soon?" she wondered and he rubbed his eyes. Gibbs was indeed exhausted, it had been a long day at the office, and just have gotten a few hours of sleep the previous night hadn't helped. And besides, his heart was beating hard after having watched Jenny with the mysterious agent. She appeared to not have noticed he had seen her, and he wanted to keep it that way until they got home and could argue in private.

"Yeah, I think it's time to go home" he agreed and she withdrew her hands from him as he began rising from his chair. He turned around to face her.

"Trust me, I'm fine. Just a bit tired" he assured her and left a kiss on her cheek to make his statement a bit more credible. Rule number seven; always be specific when you lie.

"Oh, ok" she said, sounding a bit confused at his sudden change of behaviour, but decided to let it slide for now. She began putting on her jacket again, and then went over to her desk to get some of her other stuff. She bid Brody good night and then she left along with her husband. Her thoughts were circulating around her mission; she was really excited about it and was positive she would do well. Gibbs was trying to wrap his head around the fact that Jenny would be working very closely with another man for the next couple of months. He remembered too well what had happened the last time she had been in Europe with a male agent…

Their ride home was awfully quiet, both were lost in their own thoughts, Jenny wondered briefly how she would break the news to him about David, and Gibbs was considering what the best way to confront her about it would be.

Gibbs pulled up on the drive way and in the same awkward silence they entered their house. Jenny had begun noticing his behaviour had changed drastically during their ride, he appeared to be bothered by something, and she found it obvious that she was part of the reason for his annoyance. He announced shortly that he'd be in the kitchen preparing their dinner. She responded by telling him she'd go take a shower.

Fifteen minutes later she descended the stairs, her hair still wet and wearing simple sweatpants and a tight t-shirt. She stopped in the door way to the kitchen, and watched Gibbs' back as he was busy chopping vegetables.

"Jethro – " she called, but he made no sign to having heard her. She knew that when he'd ignore her, he was really pissed at her. But for once, she was not exactly sure why.

"You know the ignoring-me-trick doesn't work anymore, so why don't you just tell me what's wrong" she added, knowing it would make him talk. It took a couple of more minutes, then, without putting down the knife, he spoke.

"Don't know where to begin" To this, Jenny raised her eyebrows, but remained in her position by the door way.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" she suggested, a hint of frustration in her voice. She could not understand this sudden change in his behaviour; last night everything had been so wonderful, but now he was apparently mad at her. She just hoped he hadn't all of a sudden changed his mind about letting her go to Europe; she couldn't stand having that conversation again.

Gibbs didn't speak again, nor did he make any attempt to turn around to face her. But he felt her presence, knew she was still waiting for an answer.

"Damn it, Jethro!" she finally burst out, "Just tell me what the hell is wrong" he was getting her annoyed, and he knew it. She took a couple of more steps into the room.

"I saw you today, with the male agent" he spoke in a low voice, but somehow it managed to fill her up inside, reaching every corner of her heart and every part of her mind. She closed her eyes; she alone knew what it truly had been, but she also figured what Gibbs thought it was.

"It's not what you think" she stated, knowing exactly how his train of thoughts went at this moment.

"Oh no?" the coldness in his voice was enough to freeze her heart "Then what do you think I think?"

'_That I'm gonna have an affair with him' _she thought to herself, but decided it would be for the best if she formulated it in another way. Truth was, the thought of sleeping with David hadn't even crossed her mind, attractive as she found him to be, there was nothing that could make her cheat on her husband. She just needed to find a way to make him understand that.

"You think," she began and took one step further into the kitchen, "that I'm gonna be spending the next couple of months together with him, and things can happen. You're afraid I'll cheat on you" she spoke honestly and waited for his reaction. He didn't move, other than his hand that kept chopping vegetables.

"Something like that" he responded "I do remember the last time you were in Europe with a male agent – "

"Yeah, I remember too" she said and began walking up to him from behind. "And that was the best thing that's ever happened to me" she added once she was placed right behind him. Gibbs merely shrugged and tried to ignore her again, but it was harder now, seeing as she had put her hands on his hips.

"I could never cheat on you" she assured him, and he finally put the knife down.

"How can you know that? You acted like a high school girl with a crush around him, all giggling and flirting. I saw you Jen, and the sight bothered me" he kept arguing with her, he desperately wanted to believe what she just had said, but after watching her interactions with David earlier, he felt reluctant to let her go to the other side of the Atlantic ocean with him.

What he felt for her, he had only felt for one woman before, namely Shannon. They had been married for nine years, and during those years, he had been so sure she was the one for him, that they would stick together, grow old together. But in a time shorter than a heart beat, his entire life had changed, his entire world had crashed. He had been broken, torn into small pieces, convinced he'd never really feel whole again. He tried to marry again, but the marriage had been very short-lived, and he feared that he was no longer capable of finding love again. Then, just when he was on the verge of giving up on ever experiencing true love again after yet another crashed marriage, Jenny Shepard walked into his life. She came to him as an inexperienced NCIS special agent, and he taught her how to do the job, taught her everything he knew. During an under cover op in France, the sexually charged tension between them had increased, and they had an affair. They made a great team together, but he was still certain this relationship were to be just as short-lived as his previous. But something was different this time, he was different. She was extremely skilful at bringing out his sweet, loving side, the side of him that he had not fully let out since Shannon's time. This was when he realized it may be more than just a fling, maybe it was love. He decided to take things slow this time, not wanting to screw up another relationship. But Jenny had stayed with him, loved him. One evening in Paris, he finally managed to find the courage to propose to her. And she had said yes. They had a small wedding in a chapel in Paris, which of course was the city of love. For the first time since Shannon, it felt right, it felt like true love and he believed he'd have a lifetime together with Jenny.

But the painful lesson he'd learned many years ago still reminded him that there is no assurance that life will turn out the way you'd like. Things happen, circumstances changes, even though it's meant to be, it might not be at all.

So there was no wonder why he was so scared of letting her go away with another man. He had lost love before, and he was not intending on losing another.

"Jethro," Jenny began, pulling him away from his thoughts. "I know what it must have looked like. But he's just a co-worker"

"Yeah, so were we" he shot back. He was pushing her like this for a reason; it was the only way he could get her to say something rushed, say some kind of confession that she had a crush on David. But when she replied, she did not sound upset. Instead her voice was soft and low.

"I don't understand why you don't trust me"

Gibbs closed his eyes, for a moment thinking about the woman behind him, everything he had to lose. Whoa, that would be a big loss. She was a loving, gentle woman, but also fiery and with a short temper. They often fought, but it was part of the attraction. But trust, that was sort of the foundation of their relation, besides their love.

"I trust you Jen" he whispered, there was no point in lying about that. He felt her hands slid around his waist, felt her body against his back.

"Then why don't you trust me when I say there is nothing going on between me and David, and there never will be? I love you, and I won't throw you aside" her sincere words meant more to Gibbs than she could ever know. It was just that simple confession, and when she said it so genuine, he just believed her, without a doubt. He did not answer her; instead he gently placed his hand on top of hers. Jenny still waited for a verbal reply, but his hand on hers was a good sign, but not enough.

"Say something" she whispered, sounding more desperate than she had intended.

"I trust you" he repeated hoarsely. "And I love you too"

"So, no more suspicion about me and David?"

"Well, can't promise you that" he replied, his voice light and it told her he was teasing her, but for some reason she thought there might be some truth in what he said as well "I don't wanna lose you" he added a bit more serious, confirming her suspicions.

"You won't" she assured him softly, and he decided quickly it was time to change the subject. He didn't want to talk so much about the future they had no control over. He just chose to believe she would never leave him willingly. But he had no control over fate.

In an attempt at trying to get away from the subject, he turned around in her arms to face her. He reached out his hand to remove some of the wet hair that stuck to her throat. His hand continued to travel around her neck, and then he began pulling her toward him, until their lips met.

_**A/N: So, how was that? Please send me a review!!!**_

_**Thanks,**_

_**Emma**_


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